


When It's Right

by anonomnom



Series: Getting It Right [1]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Probably ooc, Robert talks too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 04:57:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7701682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonomnom/pseuds/anonomnom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert’s made a lot of mistakes in the past, but he knows he’s finally got it right with Aaron. After being together for four years, he wants to take the next step, but as usual when Aaron’s involved, it doesn’t come about the way he expected it to.</p>
<p>He’s learnt to roll with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When It's Right

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first robron fic, and the first time I’ve written in a long, long while, so any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated!  
> To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what this is, but I hope you enjoy it!

Robert chuckles as he flops over Aaron’s chest, his flushed cheek resting on flushed breast, their skin still hot and sweaty, but Robert can’t remember either of them ever minding that.

Aaron huffs in his own humour, holding still until Robert has settled into him before running his fingers through damp, blond hair and trailing down over his shoulders and back. Robert watches his own hand trace patterns over Aaron’s skin unthinkingly, brushing scar and smooth and nipple alike.

They both swear they were never overly affectionate people.

Robert has never been happier.

“It’s kind of weird,” Aaron starts, and Robert smiles at the way he hears the gruff voice start as a rumble deep in his chest. “How it still feels like this.”

“What?” He asks, angling his head just enough to glance up at him.

“This.” Aaron languidly gestures to them with his free hand. “Sex. Being together. You’d think the novelty would have worn off by now.”

Robert scoffs and settles on Aaron’s muscle again. “Charming.”

Aaron shrugs unbothered, and whilst that’s often answer enough, decides to add, “You of all people should understand that.”

Loving fingers stroking his ear take the sting out of the dig, so Robert simply hums in acknowledgment; they both know that this is the first relationship Robert’s ever been faithful in, though he wonders if Aaron understands that it’s at least partially because it’s the first relationship he’s ever been able to be completely himself.

It’s just one more reason why Robert loves him. One more reason why there’s a loose ring stashed hastily under the pillow Aaron’s resting on, waiting for the right moment.

Robert hasn’t thought of how he wants to ask yet, just that he does.

And that he hopes Aaron doesn’t run a mile in the process.

“Have you…”Aaron stops himself, so Robert looks up to him again, trying to catch his eye and remind him that he can say anything to Robert, _anything_. It’ll never become Robert’s weapon again.

It takes some coaxing, a wide palm smoothing over a tense shoulder and a thumb brushing along his throat, but Aaron looks back and keeps looking. Robert lets him, waits for him, and feels his heart beat an erratic rhythm with the softness in Aaron's eyes, the way his love and want for Robert is just always there.

With a sigh and another long stroke through his hair, Aaron starts again.

“Does it always feel like this? When you’re in a relationship with someone?”

Robert watches carefully, but all he can see is genuine curiosity in Aaron’s face, and knows that Aaron was just embarrassed about asking something so personal.

“You’ve had relationships before.”

“Yeah, but I’ve only loved one other person and… well.”

Jackson. Robert has a lot of mixed feelings about him, about the effect that relationship had on Aaron, but he doesn’t say anything and would never undermine what they had; it’s just such an extreme situation is hardly basis for understanding relationships.

Robert presses his lips against Aaron’s chest breathing deeply, taking in the smell of him, them, as he tries to put a voice to what he intrinsically knows.

“No.” He sighs, happily resting on his cheek again. “I’ve only been in love twice before, so I’m hardly an expert either.” Fingertips run along his damp scalp and he closes his eyes. “But no, it’s never felt like this.”

They’re both quite for a while. Robert didn’t expect a response from Aaron - it’s too soppy a subject - and he thinks he’s said all that needs to be said. But his mind’s on it now, Aaron breathing rhythmically beneath him and his fingers trailing over him, and Robert speaks quietly as he lays there, eyes closed and his own fingers restless.

“Katie was a whirlwind. Finally being with her, properly, having her choose me, it was a rush. It felt so good to be with her, even with Dad and Andy reacting the way they did. No one was happy about it, except us.”

Aaron stays quiet, simply listening and stroking Robert’s skin.

“I was happy. I could see a future with her. Like, literally see it. The Kings had plans to build these houses in one of the fields up by the farm. I took her there, in the middle of this muddy field and could see that house, see us stood together in it. I asked her to marry me that day.”

He doesn’t really know why he’s mentioning this, maybe it’s because he’s had marriage on the mind, but now he’s started, he sees no harm in finishing; they’ve never spoken about it before.

“I was seeing Sadie, at the time. She was the whole reason I could afford the ring anyway. It was this silver looking thing, tiny diamonds set in a little row – I thought it was the best back then, proper stylish. I know better now.” He says with a smirk, glancing up at Aaron to see him watching him calmly. He smiles back, pinching lightly at Robert’s neck, just enough to make him wriggle.

He sighs as he settles again.

“I loved her. Katie. I wanted her, liked having her, liked thinking of us together in that house. But…but it wasn’t _our_ house. Sometimes it was this empty, white bachelor pad. Sometimes it was like my Dad’s house, like the one we were in already, but we’d be alone. Alone to do anything we wanted, but all I could picture was us in the bedroom, or me eating at the at a kitchen table. There was nothing… it could’ve been anyone, I could’ve described the scene in every detail and no one would be able to guess it was me and Katie, because it was the standard picture of any couple. It could’ve been anyone. It could’ve been Diane and Dad. It could’ve been _Andy_ and Katie. It _was_ them. I didn’t see it then, but looking back…

“Sadie was so different. She was strong and ruthless, had a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, and was just everything Katie wasn’t. But I didn’t love her, I didn’t want her the way I wanted Katie. Still kept going back though.” He mumbles, frowning. “Once I finally had her, Katie was like… being with her was, soothing, comforting, where I wanted to be. But still. Once Dad and Andy had… given up, it felt very, still. Sadie was excitement and unpredictability and, and so _temporary_.

“I’d been with her, the day I bought that ring. Katie had been stressed at work, with Sadie, and I had spent that afternoon with her, literally rolling in the hay.”

Aaron responds for the first time, his chest rising and falling suddenly as he snorts, and he runs his hand firmly up and down Robert’s back.

“That a signature move for you then?”

“It works, doesn’t it?” He smirks up at him, and Aaron huffs another laugh, more dismissively this time. “I don’t even remember what I was thinking, y’know.” He continues, watching Aaron’s collar bones rise and fall. “I’d just… I assumed we would get married, y’know? It never occurred to me that we wouldn’t. So I just went and bought this ring, then the next day took her up to that field and painted her this picture, this picture that could have been anyone, this picture that she’d already had, and made it sound like a future. I wanted to prove to her that it was her that I wanted, that I thought about despite seeing Sadie, even though she didn’t know about her. It was the same with Chrissie.”

He pauses, thinking about it, not even all that aware of whether Aaron’s still listening.

“I did the whole shebang with her; took her to this Michelin starred restaurant, made sure they organised everything perfectly on the table before-hand; the right flower, the right lighting. Then just before desert, I got down on one knee, in front of the whole restaurant, and took out a ring that cost more than I spent on six months of rent at the time. A proper solitaire, a 2 carat VVS2 diamond.” He smirks, thinking about it, about the difference.

“I spent weeks planning that evening, even though I knew how I wanted to ask her the moment I fell for her. It had to be perfect, not just for her, but for Lawrence too, for what he’d think when he heard about it. I knew they had expectations, I knew I needed to meet them, and though it was completely different to how it was with Katie, I still felt like I was proving something, and in hindsight, it was all so standard, it could have been anyone again.”

He’s quiet again for a moment.

“Loving her, loving Katie, it was just so easy. Like there was a plan I was following, and anything outside of that just, didn’t count. Chrissie had a bite to her, being with her, being in her world was exciting, and that didn’t really change. It just… we always had something else on our minds, and I could… never stay still with her. Whether it was rushing off to a meeting, jetting off on holiday together, or going… going out to meet some else.”

He frowns softly.

“I wasn’t unsatisfied, with either of them. At least I don’t remember it being like that. But I didn’t see a point in saying ‘no’ if they weren’t going to find out and get hurt. It’s different with you. It’s always been different with you.” He whispers, his palm moving down Aaron’s side and sliding back up over his stomach and chest firmly, fingers spread and trailing greedily. “Never wanted anyone the way I wanted you.” He admits just as quietly, like it’s a secret, a confession, though they both know it so well. “Never loved anyone the way I love you.”

Aaron twists to press a kiss on his hair, breathing him in before kissing his forehead, his hand rubbing up and down his back. When he moves back again, Robert moves with him, chasing his lips with a smile and shifting to lean on his forearm, half lying and half hovering over Aaron’s body.

He welcomes Robert’s kiss, always does, and laughs lightly at the way Robert’s smile makes it difficult. His other hand rises to lightly and teasingly trail fingertips over Robert’s waist, ribs, chest. He returns the favour.

“You’re everything, you know that?” Robert hushes against his lips, pulling back to see the way Aaron tries to wrinkle his nose but melts instead. He ducks down to gently nip at the tip, making Aaron scoff and pat his chest in reprimand. Robert laughs lightly, settling his weight further into Aaron and on his arm, his free hand brushing fingertips over Aaron’s collarbones and neck.

“You make me so happy.” He can feel the stretch of his smile proving as much. “I know we’ve put each other through hell, and we’ll probably be at each other’s throats tomorrow.” Aaron hums his agreement, his own smile twisted in a telling grin.

“Probably.”

“And then we’ll make up.” Robert finishes in a whisper, husky and teasing as he bends to indulge in another kiss. Aaron’s strong hands hold him place at the waist, and they’re slow in separating. “But honestly, you’ve always made me happy. Been everything I needed and wanted, even if I didn’t always realise.”

“You too.” Aaron says quietly, still not – and never will be – all that forthcoming with his feelings.

He looks beautiful, hair in a fluffy disarray, the odd curl still stuck to his forehead with sweat, his eyes soft and blue, looking up at Robert with such contentment and love, and his easy smile making him more handsome than Robert had always felt some dirty mechanic had any right in being.

His hand slips off Aaron’s skin so he can brace himself to shift more of his weight - thinking of starting round two - his arm bracketing Aaron’s shoulder and hand sliding underneath his pillow.

He touches cold metal and feels a jolt in his gut.

“What?” Aaron asks, a little humour to his voice at the way Robert is just staring at him, possibly a little self-conscious, because Robert knows that he can be intense, that he can’t look at Aaron with anything less than everything he feels for him, but they’ve been together so long, Aaron’s used to it by now, is usually comfortable under it.

Robert smiles wider, but he can hear the shift in his voice.

“I spent a long time trying to be happy. Spent years working my way up ladders, moulding myself into other people’s expectations, fixating on perfection.”

“You saying I’m not perfect?” Aaron teases, little smile tugging at his lips and his hands pinching lightly at Robert’s sides.

He knows Aaron’s joking, but he can’t help himself.

“No,” he brushes the tip of his nose along Aaron’s, watches his throat bob before meeting his eyes again. “I’m saying that you are.”

He draws his fist from under the pillow and trails the back of his hand down the bare skin of Aaron’s arm.

“You might not be anything like I pictured, that I convinced myself to aim for, but your perfect for me because…because I don’t have to be anything but myself for you, and I don’t remember- I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that before. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“Yeah, I do.” Aaron whispers, and Robert drops closer still, finally reaches Aaron’s hand and carefully takes it in his, entwining their fingers and bringing them up to their sides.

He’s got Aaron’s focus entirely, loving blue eyes on his, and he basks in it, makes sure it doesn’t stray.

“I love you,” he whispers, their fingers playing with each other lovingly. “More than anything.”

It feels right. It doesn’t feel like much of a gesture or at all romantic given that he’d just been talking about proposing to his exes, about how those relationships had failed dramatically. He wasn’t quite sure how he wanted to do it, but this is nothing like what he’d been picturing, what he’d wanted.

But it’s right.

They’re lying together, sticky with drying sweat and come, and the smell of sex still lingers around them. It’s how they started, dirty and already in far too deep; it’s how they’ve always been, and it’s what brings them back together every time.

This is precisely how it should happen.

He kisses Aaron slow and deep, unable to stop himself from humming into, and Aaron sighs back, hand sliding from Robert’s waist all the way up to his neck, cradling him close as tongues and lips move languidly in sync, purposeful and deep.

Aaron’s hands could never keep still when they kissed, and the fingers around Robert’s gently twist and grip with every slow drag and cut off moan, but it makes it easier for Robert. He slips the ring from his own thumb and brushes his fingers over Aaron’s, counting, before closing their palms together and slipping the ring down, trying not to concentrate too hard lest he stall the kiss and spoil the half-hearted surprise.

Aaron continues to kiss him, lips sliding and tongues twining, slow and sweet, and Robert sighs into him before Aaron pulls away, something finally registering as the faintest look of confusion crosses his face, turning his head to look at their loosely clasped hands next to them.

It takes another moment for the gold band of diamonds to sink in, but when it does, Aaron’s eyes snap fully open and Robert can practically feel the hard beat of his chest.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Robert whispers so he doesn’t spook anyone and because of his worry equally. His own heart flutters like mad, nervous and full. “I love you and want to spend my entire life like this, with you.” Aaron is still staring at the ring like he’s never see one before. Robert swallows. “I want to marry you.”

Aaron gulps too and stays in his trace like state, not saying anything. But that’s ok, Robert hadn’t expected him to. Instead, he places a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth and continues with the one thing he had figured out about this.

“I want to marry you, but it’s ok if you don’t. It doesn’t have to be an engagement ring.”

Aaron finally looks at him, head turning slowly and eyes even slower to respond, but he does look at him, little confused frown weighing just a bit heavier.

Robert smiles at him and brings his unresponsive hand between them to place a kiss on his finger, just above his ring.

Aaron’s attention flits between the two.

“I don’t know if you know what kind of ring this is,” he starts quietly, twisting his hand under Aaron’s loose grip so he can run his thumb over the band. He looks from the shimmering diamonds – beautiful in the soft light of their bedroom – to Aaron’s eyes. “But it’s called an eternity ring.”

When he’d gone in to pick a ring, he’d been disappointed and frankly pissed off by the lack of choices. He knew it still wasn’t all that common for men to wear engagement rings, but they still did, in both straight and  gay relationships. He picked that store in particular because of the sheer amount of stock they had – as they should for the base prices they were offering – but all Robert could find specifically for men were shitty, chunky, silver-looking rings with a pinprick of a diamond, or ugly contortions of mixed metal and blacks and blues to make it seem ‘more manly’.

He’d looked at the hundreds of designs made for women, even asked an assistant to see any kept in the back, but whilst some were certainly pleasing to the eye, they were too dainty, too obviously feminine for Aaron; even if Robert could persuade him to say yes, he’d never wear it and it wouldn’t suit him.

As he finished browsing and considered where else to go, the engagement rings bled into eternity rings, and Robert glanced at them with little interest until this one ring caught his attention.

It was a full ring of diamonds set in a bright yellow gold, but what caught his eye was the thickness of the band. It was wider than all the others around it, not obtrusive, at least not nestled in its cushion, but perhaps it would be around a small and delicate finger.

Around Aaron’s, it would look perfect.

It wasn’t the thing to do, it was a little backwards actually, but it was diamonds and gold and…. And an _eternity_ ring. Aaron was it for him, he could never feel this way about someone else, he’d never been more certain of anything in his life, and he would always be Aaron’s, always. He wanted him to  know that, wanted to marry him and have it in writing. But if Aaron didn’t want that…

“I love you. Always have, and I always will. This ring, that’s what it means. No matter what, I’ll love you and I’ll always be yours.” Aaron’s watching him so intently and yet dazed, but Robert keeps smiling, keeps trying to use the right words for once. “I want to marry you. I want you to want to marry me too, but if you don’t, it doesn’t change anything. I’m still yours, for however long you want me and beyond. This ring doesn’t lose its meaning. It’s yours, so keep it, wear it if you’d like; it doesn’t have to mean marriage or a wedding, it just means everything those things stand for.”

It’s silent when Robert finishes, Aaron unmoving, except for the way his eyes keep dropping down to where Robert’s thumb still brushes over the ring and his skin.

It stretches on for a long time, and suddenly Robert can’t remember a word he said. He knows he’s said something because his throat is dry, but whether any of it made sense, whether he managed to say what he actually wanted to, is a mystery. A baffling, panic-inducing mystery.

When the stillness continues, Robert tries to keep his smile as he croaks out, “Ok, I lied. You need to say something.”

Aaron looks at him blankly for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You haven’t technically asked me anything.”

His lips twitch, but more telling is the way his eyes glint in the soft light, and suddenly it’s like Robert’s back in the Dingle’s garage five years ago, pressing an argumentative Aaron against some unknown’s car, gut burning with the way Aaron’s eyes had glistened with knowing and want.

_Christ_. He loves him.

Robert smiles at him, head and lips tilting to the side as a thousand butterflies lose their shit in his stomach. He’s warm all over and inching ever closer to him, the only thing in his way their entwined hands.

“Will you marry me?” He asks quietly, already knowing the answer and yet waiting on bated breath just to hear out loud.

Aaron’s lips twitch again before they finally relax into a small, soft smile, his eyes lidded and looking up at Robert in that special way that catches the light just right.

“Yeah.” He whispers, shrugging as if to play it cool, but Robert knows better, Aaron does too, though Robert can see the edge of bewilderment to his happiness, like he can’t quite believe this is happening.

Robert can.

For all his fears and worries and incomprehensibility of the idea of Aaron putting up with a wedding, Robert can believe it; he’s seeing it, hearing it, feeling it.

And he’s so in love.

He bends down with a giddy grin, gripping Aaron’s fingers as he crushes their hands between their bodies to kiss Aaron softly, smiley, but then soundly as Aaron squeezes his hand in return before slipping it free and holding Robert’s jaw to steady and deepen their kiss.

He hums into it, can never stop himself, but it feels so good in this moment. Feels right. And so little in Robert’s life has felt like that.

He can feel the ring against his skin, no longer cold because of the way he had been caressing it, but it’s a solid, unfamiliar press underneath his jaw. It’s a stark difference in an otherwise wonted kiss; something he can’t ignore, and it makes his heart beat quick and light.

He wants to smile again, to pull back and laugh breathlessly against Aaron’s lips, overcome with happiness and nerves, but Aaron won’t have it, doesn’t give him the option as he grunts and holds Robert tighter, pulls him closer, and changes the pace of their kiss.

His hand drags against Robert’s jaw and neck as it delves into his hair, the other sliding from its resting place on his waist to smooth over the dip of his lower back and over rise of his behind, holding him and stroking his thumb back and forth over the soft hairs.

Robert groans and presses into him, hips already rolling in a slow wave, building the heat, the tension between them. Aaron’s legs slide open as they finally break from the kiss, Robert falling into place and brushing his nose along Aaron’s as he pulls back to look at him.

He’s smiling, teeth dragging over his bottom lip, flirtation and a pure happiness mixing to make a beautiful sight Robert can’t get enough of. He moves his hand back through Robert’s hair to hold his neck, caressing lightly as the other  grips Robert’s ass, fingers scraping just enough, and they both heave a soundless laugh as Robert surges forward with lips and hips.

Afterwards, Robert can’t let go of him. They’re tired and impossibly hot and sweaty, but he keeps his arms wrapped around Aaron’s waist, settled sort of behind him, sort of on top of him as Aaron lies on his side and stares at his ring, feeling it, twisting it round with his thumb.

He’s smiling, biting his lip in a poor attempt to hide just how wide his grin is, but even without it Robert can tell how happy his is from his eyes, soft and crinkled; can almost feel the excited buzz through his body.

And Robert’s insides are like lava; a smooth, thick, melting heat, all for Aaron. It keeps his hands and lips restless, stroking over his stomach and pressing slow kisses up his neck; unable to look away from Aaron’s face.

“Didn’t think you’d be this into the idea of marriage.” Robert says, pressing his nose to Aaron’s cheek and trying to get his smiling lips to lay kiss after kiss on Aaron’s jaw.

“Me neither.” He admits quietly, full grin finally breaking free as he turns and places his hand on Robert’s cheek, guiding him into another kiss, dopey and uncoordinated with lips stretched too wide.


End file.
